


Steam

by Nerd_Peridot



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Past, Romance, Set during the Crystal Gems Rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 02:24:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8648173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerd_Peridot/pseuds/Nerd_Peridot
Summary: More than 5,000 years ago, Ruby and Sapphire had their first kiss. Here's how it happened...





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written and [posted on Tumblr](http://nerd-peridot.tumblr.com/post/151320531552/rubpphire-fic-first-kiss) as a response to the "Sweet Affectionate Moments Meme" challenge. Thanks, Rowan-the-Halloween-Pirate, for requesting Rubpphire's first kiss! I can't wait until we get another episode with these two. They are so adorable I can barely stand it!

Here in the forest, it was quiet—TOO quiet, if you asked Ruby. If she were back at the Crystal Gems’ base, she’d probably being joining in the noisy camaraderie with the rest of her friends. But, the base was the last place Ruby wanted to be right now.

Watching the sun set over the horizon, Ruby shivered as the cold evening air hit her. It was strange; just a minute ago it had been almost hot outside. Ruby barely had time to wonder why the temperature had dropped so quickly when suddenly that reason made her presence known.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” came a soft voice through the trees.

So Sapphire had found her after all. Her elegant ball gown brushed the tall grass as she made her way over. It was probably pointless to hide from someone with future vision, but Ruby had had to try. She’d been dreading this conversation with Sapphire, but now it seemed unavoidable. Still, even now Ruby turned away—ashamed, embarrassed, and unable to look at her. “I know. I’m so sorry.”

“No, Ruby,” interjected Sapphire. “I came here to tell you: _I’m_ sorry!”

Stunned, Ruby whirled around to face her. “What?”

“I shouldn’t have tried to kiss you.” Her voice began to break. “I…I thought… well…I was mistaken as to what the outcome would be. But if you don’t feel the same way about me, that’s—that’s fine.”

With a heavy sigh, Sapphire moved to sit on the log of a fallen tree. Though Sapphire didn't appear to be crying, Ruby knew her well enough to tell that she was really hurt, and it made Ruby feel devastated to know she’d caused it. The idea that a gem as precious as Sapphire could feel unwanted and undesired… it was ridiculous. But Ruby couldn’t bring herself to speak up just yet.

As Sapphire sat, she folded her hands primly on her lap, collecting herself. When her voice came again, it was cool and detached. “The last thing I want is for this to stop us from forming Garnet. She’s too important to the rebellion. And your companionship is too important to me to lose. So it’s fine if you don’t want to—”

“But I DO want to! THAT’S the PROBLEM!”

Sapphire looked up. “You do?”

“Of COURSE I do! But I CAN’T.” Ruby moved to sit next to Sapphire. “It’s just not right. Someone like me has no right to be with someone like you.”

“’Someone like you,’” Sapphire echoed. She groaned in frustration, but her next words were spoken gently. “Ruby, we’ve talked about this.”

“I know,” Ruby mumbled, scuffing the dirt ground with her feet.

“You can’t keep thinking of yourself the way Homeworld does. After everything we’ve learned from the Crystal Gems, after everything we’ve accomplished together as Garnet, surely you don’t still think that a Ruby and a Sapphire can’t be equals.”

Ruby swallowed and steeled herself to continue. “Even with everything that’s happened, sometimes it’s hard not to think that way. But it’s not just that. You’re just so… so…” Now was the moment of truth. Time to tell Sapphire how she really felt. “…beautiful,” Ruby continued. “And smart. And nice. And _perfect_. What would you even want with a dumb gem like me? The only time I’m ever good for anything is when I’m Garnet with you.”

Sapphire was quiet for a brief moment. Then she covered Ruby’s hand with her own and said, “Do you know what Garnet gets from you?”

“Her square hair?”

“Besides that. You’re the one who gives Garnet her passion, her fire, her sense of humor, her strength, her beautiful warm colors… All things I love about you.” Sapphire smiled and brushed her bangs aside, exposing her one brilliant blue eye. It appeared she had been on the verge of crying after all. Her eye shone with unspilled tears. “You are a remarkable gem, Ruby. You make me so happy, and you make me a better gem. Having you in my life has been the greatest blessing. We have our friendship, and I will always treasure it, but my feelings for you go even deeper than that. So much deeper.”

At Sapphire’s words, Ruby felt her own eyes well up with emotion. Blinking the tears away, she sniffed and gave a weak smile. With her affections for Sapphire already revealed, she figured she might as well continue her confession. “You know, I almost kissed you once.”

Sapphire thought for a second or two, then realized, “After the battle of Emerald Island.”

Ruby nodded. “I got too nervous.” She frowned. “That’s another thing. I don’t know how I can ever get over being nervous enough to, um, you know. Fusing is one thing, but this is…different.”

Smiling, Sapphire squeezed her hand. “I’m sure we can figure out a solution. When you and I team up, we can overcome anything.”

“Yeah.” Ruby returned her smile shyly. Together, they sat for a while, thinking. Ruby mused that she might not mind if they never came up with a solution, if she could just sit here forever with Sapphire’s tiny hand atop hers. She believed Sapphire when she said they were equals and that Sapphire admired her, but Ruby still couldn’t help but marvel at the position they were in. If only she had known then, when she was first assigned to Sapphire’s guard, that they would be where they were now…

Inspiration struck, and Ruby perked up. “Hey, I got it! We fight fire with fire: You can ORDER ME to kiss you! Then I’d HAVE to get over it!”

“No,” said Sapphire firmly, but not unkindly. “If we do kiss, it needs your own choice. One hundred percent.”

Ruby frowned in frustration. She was so sure that would have been the perfect solution. As Sapphire scooted nearer, Ruby glanced at Sapphire’s hand and (more boldly than she felt) repositioned it to interlock their fingers. “What if I started small? Kissed you on the back of your hand?” Then she realized. “The hand WITHOUT your gem, obviously, heh.” She added the last part nervously. Her face felt so warm, she hoped she wasn’t going to burst into flames.

Sapphire tilted her head. “Mm, perhaps…” she said, though not as enthusiastically as Ruby had hoped. Sapphire began to slowly stroke her thumb over Ruby’s, making little circles. Goosebumps began to spread up Ruby’s arms. How could such a small touch feel so _electric_?

“Or, um… maybe your… cheek?” Ruby squeaked out.

She wondered: Was it just her imagination, or had Sapphire moved even closer now? She could feel the the blue gem's breath on her face. It was a like a cool spring breeze on Ruby’s hot skin.

“Is that what you really want to do?” Sapphire cooed.

Ruby shivered, willing her gaze to stay locked with Sapphire’s beautiful eye, instead of flitting down to her full, inviting lips. “Y-yes… and no.”

“What is it you really want to do?” Sapphire’s voice was almost a whisper.

As intimated as Ruby had always felt by Sapphire’s beauty, and as nervous as she had felt around her in the past, all that melted away at this moment. Sapphire was too irresistible.

With one swift movement, Ruby leaned in to kiss her—a kiss that could only be described as steamy. Literally steamy! Had their eyes been open, they would have seen the rising white mist that formed when Ruby’s heated kiss met Sapphire’s chilled lips. But, the gems were too lost in the moment to notice or care. Her nervousness now forgotten, Ruby slowly moved her arms to pull Sapphire into an embrace, her crimson fingers caressing silky, light blue hair. Sapphire let out a happy sigh at the touch and pulled Ruby tight against her.

After a while the gems slowly, reluctantly pulled apart. Reeling from the kiss, Sapphire smiled lazily and suggested, “You know, it’s been a few days. Shall we form Garnet now?”

Ruby smiled back. “Just a few more minutes,” she said, as she pulled her beloved into an embrace again.


End file.
